


Following Phantoms

by kansouame



Category: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-11
Updated: 2010-09-11
Packaged: 2017-10-11 16:13:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/114247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kansouame/pseuds/kansouame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reno has a bad day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Following Phantoms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lilymoon1](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Lilymoon1).



Gift fic for Lilymoon1

 

Takes place in Lilymoon1's Hazard Pay Universe.

The bar was just a small hole-in-the-wall on the east side of Edge. The kind of place where the whiskey wasn't watered down and the night wasn't over until at least one drunken brawl broke out. The perfect place, Reno had decided to get pissing drunk. Unfortunately, his evening was turning out to be just as bad as day. What made it worse was that it was staring at him. Reno squinted and peered toward the door in the dark bar but was unable to make out his stalker. "Well, fuck!" he thought. As he tried to get a better look, he realized the stupid thing was gone again. He started to rise from the table to hunt the thing down but when he did so, his legs trembled and felt a bit shaky. Scowling, he sank back into his chair, all other thoughts leaving his mind, when he remembered that he was trying to get drunk to forget his shittiest day ever.

He looked around the dive lifting his glass to his lips and tilting it back. Nothing. He whined softly letting his tongue lap at the rim of the glass to catch the last two drops. The glass was dropped onto the table carelessly where it wobbled but strangely managed to settle upright. Reno let out a huff that caused the wild, red strands of his hair to move out of his eyes. Today really fucking sucked and feeling a little too sober still, he raised his hand to the waitress and signaled her to bring him another bottle of whiskey. It was then that he noticed it sitting on the chair right next to him.

"Oh shit!" Reno lurched back, his chair tipping along with his body as he tumbled backwards, bumping into the bruiser at the next table.

"Hey buddy, what's your issue?" The red-faced overload of muscles yelled while he wiped the spilt beer from the front of his shirt.

Reno flipped his baton into his hand and gave the man a perfected Turk glare. "Fuck off."

It only took one look from the man and his buddies to recognize Reno's suit. "Ahh… sorry, my bad." The bumpkin stuttered, hunching as far from Reno as possible.

With a snort and as much grace as he could muster in his inebriated state, Reno set his chair upright and sat back down at his table. He turned to his new table-mate and glared. "Whatcha lookin' at?" His below-the-plate accent thicker than usual. The large, grey cat just stared at him. Reno squinted and looked closer. It really was a cat. The cat just looked back smugly with that lazy, all-knowing expression that all cats have.

"I don't like cats." Reno stated matter-of-factly, his words only slightly slurred.

The cat didn't twitch a muscle as it continued its study of Reno.

A bottle of whiskey thumped in front of him and he turned blurry eyes to the waitress who smiled and winked at him. He thought she would have been sort of pretty if she wasn't missing that tooth and – was that a mole with a hair sticking out?

Reno snickered and waved toward the cat. "Can I have a glass for my friend?"

Frowning, the waitress looked around the empty table and wondered if she could talk the Turk into leaving before he passed out. "Sure honey, whatever you say." She patted Reno's arm and gave him another gaped-tooth smile before moving off to alert the bouncer that it might be time to encourage the red-head to move along soon.

Reno turned back to the cat, who was still watching him quietly. "I don't think she likes you either." He chuckled at his own joke as he filled his glass up from the fresh bottle. He pushed the glass towards his table-mate. "Wanna drink?"

The cat sniffed the glass, his whiskers twitched twice and then Reno was graced with a strong glare of disdain.

"Fine," Reno huffed, "More for me." He grabbed the glass and downed the entire contents in three long gulps. Placing the glass carefully on the table he grabbed the bottle and poured himself some more, most of the liquid managing to make it into the glass.

"I suppose you are wondering why I am here – alone". The last word spoken with a snarl.

The cat blinked.

"Hrumph – well I don't suppose you have ever had a day where you couldn't catch a break?" He muttered under his breath. He noticed the waitress whispering in the bouncer's ear, both of them looking his direction, causing him to chuckle.

"Looks like the locals aren't too happy with you following me around." He gave the cat a glare and received a bored look back in return.

Reno sighed and shifted in his chair before taking another long drink. "It was a long day yo. I suppose, I am glad it's over, even if I was hoping for a little sympathy from someone that wasn't quite so furry." He looked back over at the cat that was now ignoring Reno and in the process of licking its paw to then wash its face.

Figuring any company at this point was ok with him, Reno leaned over and laid his head on the palm of his hand and watched the impromptu bath.

"Yo, you look like you have it pretty easy there. Must be nice." Reno's last words no more than a whisper as he ran his finger around the rim of his glass.

"I love my job an' all … I mean, where else can you beat up people and blow things up all the time, but even a guy like me needs a break." Sitting up, Reno knocked back the last of the whiskey.

"Fucking Rufus. You know what that asshole made me do today? First, I spent the afternoon guarding his grumpiness at a boring luncheon. Couldn't drink or smoke and I swear if I have to smell any more cheap, perfumed broads I am gonna ram my baton up Rufus' ass." He glanced at the cat that had stopped cleaning itself and was staring at him once again.

"Hmph," Reno ignored the cat and continued his tirade. "Speaking of The Ass … he berated me the whole way back to the Shinra building about my uniform. It's not my fault that stupid blonde bimbo asked him if she could borrow me for the night. I think he was just jealous." He snorted and looked at his table-mate knowingly, trying to brush the wrinkles in his suit away. "I can't help being so sexy, yo."

The cat blinked, but Reno just continued. "The jerk! He had Tseng assign me for the rest of the day to babysitting."

"Heh… Rookies." His voice dripped with disdain.

"It's usually kinda fun teachin' them to fight 'cause you get to beat the shit out of 'em and they learn that just cause your lean and pretty like me, doesn't mean I can't kick your ass." Reno's words were becoming more slurred and his voice pitched loud enough to attract the attention of the patrons around him.

"But today was explosive training and some stupid kid decided to blow his arm off along with a good portion of the west wall of the training room. Rufus took it out of my hide and forced me to take a week off without pay! The Asshole! Like it was my fault the stupid son-of-a-bitch rookie wasn't listening!" Reno raised his head and stared at the approaching bouncer, the look on his face enough to stop the man in his tracks.

"And to top it all off, just when I could use some comfort, Tifa tells me that Cloud is on a delivery and she doesn't expect him back for a couple more days." Reno sighed softly. "Even Rude couldn't come drinking with me. He has plans with his Turkish Delight." Reno smiled at the last comment, knowing that if either Rude or Vincent had heard him, he would be in a world of hurt.

Reno saluted his tablemate, "So it's just me and you buddy." He downed the last the whiskey in his glass. The cat stood up and stretched, his grey fur making him wink in and out of the shadows like a phantom. He looked at Reno for a long moment and then seemed to make a decision and jumped down from the chair, sauntering slowly towards the door.

"Hey! Where ya going, yo?" The cat stopped and looked back over his shoulder and appeared to be waiting for Reno. His tail lashed impatiently a couple of times and then he turned back around and continued for the door.

Reno ignored the comments from the table next to him about _crazy Turks talking to themselves_, stood, pulled some gil from his pocket and threw it on the table. Swinging his baton up to his shoulder, he managed to put a bit of swagger in his step, followed the grey shadow out the door and into the night.

The tom silently padded down the street with Reno following. He had nothing better to do than chase the little phantom around and the cool night air seemed to help sober him up just a little. Not that he wanted to be sober right now. He should probably just head home but the prospect of a cold bed kept him from turning around towards his empty apartment. They had gone several blocks before Reno realized that they were near Tifa's bar, 7th Heaven. Reno stopped. He rubbed at his chest, trying to make the tightness go away. He missed his lover. Cloud had been really busy with his work and they hadn't been able to see much of each other. And the week before Rufus had kept Reno so busy that they had not had more time than a few words on the cell phone. And Cloud was not a man of many words, so their phone conversations tended to be a bit one-sided.

Two glowing eyes watching him from the dark street startled Reno out of his somber thoughts. "Fuck you … you fuckin' ghost. I'm coming." He mumbled, his feet moved forward as he jammed his hands into his pockets and followed the cat to the very place he had been avoiding.

The cat sat calmly in front of the door of 7th Heaven and looked around expectantly. Reno rolled his eyes and tried the door. Locked.

"Looks like they are closed for the night my friend." He said to the cat as he sat on the stoop, resting his back against the door. He was surprised how tired he was suddenly and wondered if it was just the whiskey finally catching up to him. Shifting to get a bit more comfortable, he decided to rest for a moment and then head for his apartment to catch some sleep. "At least it's not cold tonight."

Reno let his thoughts wander to his lover and wondered where he was and what he was doing at that moment. The cat moved closer and sat next to him. Reno reached out and the cat pressed his head into his palm, letting Reno lazily scratch him behind his ears.

"Hmm … maybe cats aren't too bad, yo." Reno spoke quietly as his eyes fluttered and shut.

It was the slight pressure on his shoulder that brought him fully awake; his baton was in his hand without even realizing it. Before he could throw a punch, a solid body had him pinned to the door. He thumbed on the switch and felt his weapon extend and the hum buzz up his arm.

"Reno, it's me."

"Cloud?" Reno shook his head but it only made his stomach queasy and didn't help clear his vision.

Cool, firm lips covered his and Reno dropped his weapon. Oh yes, it was Cloud alright. His Cloud. His wonderful, amazing, kissing him right now, Cloud. Reno slid his fingers into the soft, spiky locks and took control, thrusting his tongue into Cloud's mouth and savoring the taste he had been without for the past couple of weeks.

"God I have missed you," Reno murmured against his lover's lips as the kiss ended. Both men were panting softly. Knowing Cloud was a man of few words, he pulled him in for another breath-taking kiss, letting his hands wander. Acknowledging for himself that Cloud was not only here with him, but in one piece and unharmed. Reno knew in his brain that Cloud was perfectly capable of taking care of himself – you know – save the world type – take care of himself but it didn't stop Reno from being possessive and worried.

Cloud pulled away and rested his forehead against Reno's. "What are you doing here?"

There was no anger or recrimination in his voice and so Reno was not put off by the question.

"A friend brought me here." He looked around for the cat, but the grey tom was nowhere to be found.

Cloud unlocked the door and was pulling on Reno, who was looking up and down the street in the early hours of dawn. "Did you lose something?"

Reno felt the tug on his arm and glanced up at Cloud. The small smile made his dick suddenly throb in his pants and suddenly nothing was more important than seeing how fast he could get Cloud out of his travel stained clothes and into a shower, preferably together. Reno picked up his baton where he dropped it and gave one more look around.

"Nah, it's nothing. Just seein' phantoms I guess." He grinned at Cloud and let the desire he felt show on his face. "What I would like to see is you … naked and under me, yo."

Cloud took a playful swing at Reno that was easily dodged and both men entered the bar. Sitting on Fenrir, watching the door close, Phantom let out a soft, smug _meurp_ and went back to lazily cleaning his face.


End file.
